Rail-tongs



(No Model.)

iB., scHR-ANTZ. RAIL TONGS.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

EDXVARD SCHRANTZ, OF WARRENTON, MISSOURI.

RAIL-TONGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,461, dated February 11, 1896.

Application filed November 6, 1895. Serial No. 568,103. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SCHRANTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tarrenton, county of Varren, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rail-Ton gs, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification, where- 1n- Figure l is a perspective view of my iinproved rail-tongs as applied to a rail. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same, one of the jaws being removed to more clearly show the manner of pivotally connecting` the several members. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the members of which the tongs is composed, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the other tongs member. f

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in rail-ton gs of that class which are specially adapted for nse in connection with railroad-rails.

The features of this invention reside in slotting one member of the tongs,which slot is enlarged at one end, said slot receiving the pivot-pin located in a bifurcation of the other member, whereby the jaws may be separated without depressing the handles, and when the tongs are carrying a load the pivot-pin will seat itself in said enlargement, preventing displacement of the fulcrum.

The invention further contemplates, in addition to the above, forming the handles with a vertical and horizontal portion, which horizontal portion is on a plane above the plane of the body portion of the tongs, in pivotally securing a link to one of said members near the upper end of the vertical portion of its handle, and in arranging a hook or projection correspondinglylocated on the other member, with which said link is adapted to engage to prevent the handles from falling when the jaws are grasping an article.

The invention further consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In thedrawings, A and B indicate the two handles which extend from the respective members of the tongs, said handles being bent down at an angle, as at a and b, respectively, to the tongs proper, whose bodies C and D are on substantially a horizontal plane.

The jaws E and F of the tongs are located below the line of the bodies and are preferably staggered in relation to eachother, so that the jaws bear at three points on the rail. This is accomplished by bifurcating one of the bodies C, as at c, in which bifurcation is received the body D of the other tongs member. This member D is slotted, as at CZ, to receive the pivot-pin G,whose ends are mounted in the body O. The inner end of this slot is enlarged, as at d', said enlargement making the slot of substantially a T or keyhole form, which aords a seat for the pin G to one side of the slot proper. By this construction when it is desired to grasp a rail the body D is telescoped within the bifurcation of body C, the slot permitting this,'and the jaws are in this manner separated Without requiring the handles to be depressed. Vhen the jaws are in position to grasp the head of the rail, they are brought together, as shown, when the pin G will be seated in the enlargement of the-slot, preventing displacement of the fulcrum during the time the rail is being lifted. The upward pressure of the handles will tend to force the jaws more closely together and the pin will rest in the lower portion of the enlargement of the slot, preventing dislocation of the jaws while the rail is suspended by the tongs or while there is any weight at all on the jaws.

To prevent the handles from falling out of position and the consequent displacement of the jaws from the rail, I secure them together above the pivotal point by some suitable means, said mea-ns being shown in the drawings as consisting of a link H, pivoted in one of the handles near the upper end of the vertical portion, said link engaging a suitable projection in the form of a nose h arranged on the other handle.v In this manner when the tongs are not in use they will retain their proper position by reason of the link connection above the pivotal point, and when said tongs are grasped the weight of the handles will tend to slightly elevate the jaws, in which event the pin will rest in the upper portion of the enlargement of the slot.

I am aware that many minor changes in IOO construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent, is

l. A rail-tongs, comprising two members, one of said members carrying the pivot-pin and the other of said members being formed with a slot to receive said pin, said slot being somewhat enlarged at one end; substantially as described.

2. A rail-tongs, comprising two members which are slidingly and pivotally connected together, the handles oi said members having EDVARD SCIIRANTZ.

IVitnesses:

C. E. PEERs, W. L. MoRsnY. 

